45,000 turn out for pro-Catalan protest in Brussels

People wave Catalan "Estelada" flags during a pro-independence demonstration on December 7, 2017 in Brussels | Dirk Waem/AFP via Belgium OUT

An estimated 45,000 people — many of whom had traveled hundreds of miles — took to the streets of Brussels on Thursday with a message for the EU: The Catalan independence movement is far from finished.

Former regional president Carles Puigdemont headed the march, along with representatives of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural, an organization promoting Catalan culture. There was also support from members of the Flemish nationalist movement, including MEP Helga Stevens.

“Europe should not fear defending fundamental democratic values,” Puigdemont told the crowd at the end of the march. “Catalonia wants to continue to exist under the form of a democratic country. We will continue to work to that aim here, at the heart of Europe.”

“We’re here today to show support for the Catalan president, Puigdemont. We also want them to free our political prisoners in Spain,” said Josefina Alemany, 63, a professor in accountancy at Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

“Spain is a fascist country,” said her husband, Frederic Sese, 61. “The country never got over Francoism. Spain cheated the world and Europe by presenting itself as a democratic country, though it absolutely isn’t.”

A economics teacher from Barcelona, who did not want to give his name, spoke with pride about hiding ballot boxes from the Spanish authorities ahead of the controversial independence referendum on October 1.

Gunther Dauwen, director of the European Free Alliance, a European coalition of regional political parties, said the demonstration was “about democracy.”

“The situation in Catalonia evolved in such a way that it is no longer a question of whether you’re support independence or not, but of human rights and democracy,” he said.

Around 20,000 people were expected to take part in the protest but despite heavy rain, more than double than amount turned up.

The ANC hailed it as “one of the largest demonstrations in years” in the Belgian capital, Le Soir reported.